How We Protect Our Coastal Property

Living by the beach is fun! It’s more than fun, it’s a privilege. We bought our North Carolina coastal home about 5 years ago and love living on the beach but it does come with some drawbacks. Nothing to keep us away, mind you, but if you want to enjoy your coastal property to the fullest it’s good to know how to protect it.

Coastal properties will experience effects from the elements since these homes are so close to the salt water and surf. Knowing how to protect your home will keep it in top shape for years. Here’s what we do to protect our coastal home.

Make sure we are insured. This is the top thing all coastal homeowners should do. Make sure you have the proper insurance and if you’re unsure of what you need, talk to a professional insurance agent that handles oceanfront homes. These agents should know their stuff and know what to request. Earthquake and flood insurance is usually separate, although not a lot of extra money onto your homeowners insurance. Tell them where you are located so they know if you are in a flood plain or any additional protection you may need. Make sure the insurance covers all your valuables in case of complete destruction. Ask if the property is in a coastal dune area. Ask about protected land around your home and how it’s cared for.

We monitor for erosion. Erosion can happy faster than you might realize. In fact, the Coastal Resources Commission as a rule that allows property owners to temporarily protect imminently threatened oceanfront structures. “An imminent threat is when the erosion scarp reaches within 20 feet of the property or when the thing conditions increase the risk of imminent damage to the structure”. [NCDENR] Sandbags can provide a temporary protection but more permanent protection may require beach bulldozing. This might be used to create a temporary dune or berm in front of the home and to shore up a building’s foundation. While relocation of the structure is highly unlikely, erosion is something to be aware of and considerate of a yearly basis.

We protect our windows. Storms, damaging winds and high surf can create a threat to unprotected Windows and allow destructive elements into the home. You want to take proactive steps to protect your windows and this may actually reduce your insurance premiums. There are different ways to protect your windows during the storm by using window film, plywood, storm shutters or high impact glass. High impact glass are layers of tempered glass with plastic film sandwiched between. The windows can crack without shattering when struck maintaining the structural integrity.

Inspect any new building. If you’re going to build anything new including a deck, an outbuilding or remodel or add on to your existing home make sure you have the proper permits and that it is inspected.

I hope you enjoy your new coastal property and you can enjoy it for years to come as long as you make sure you protect your home and be aware of the potential issues that could arise by living on the beach.

Thank you to our friends on the beach in Sunset Beach NC for their information

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What our clients say

Jessica Lowery

I love working with Karen and Frank. They are honest, not pushy, and have your best interest in mind. They...

2015-05-12T20:51:52+00:00

I love working with Karen and Frank. They are honest, not pushy, and have your best interest in mind. They will also make you laugh! :) Love these two!!!

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Steve & Jean DeVito

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2015-03-16T20:17:46+00:00

“The Bakers treated us like family during our whirlwind weekend of looking at houses. Prior to our on-site visit to Sunset Beach they created a portal and populated it with properties that met our ever-evolving criteria. By time we arrived we had a good feel for what we could afford and what was available that met our criteria. The Bakers, especially Karen, were able to make sense of what we thought we were looking for and eventually matched us with a house that we ended up purchasing — Karen called it the “This is it” house and she was right. We are loving our 2nd home and appreciate how painless Karen and Frank made the process. All the paperwork was done seamlessly and quickly and the closing went off without a hitch. The Bakers do not believe in the hard sell — they gave us the knowledge we needed and the guidance we needed to make our dream a reality.”

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Amy and I have bought and sold four properties in the past twelve years. Both of you are the best...

2015-03-16T20:18:22+00:00

Amy and I have bought and sold four properties in the past twelve years. Both of you are the best realtors we have ever dealt with. Amy and I both felt we could trust you to look out for our interest. The level of service you provided was outstanding, from taking the trash out, helping the buyer with inspecting the irrigation system, dealing with our tenants, always being there if we needed to ask a question, providing constant updates on the market and always keeping us informed on the sale of our house. I think your next venture should be training other realtors, because both of you have mastered the art of providing excellent service. I will be sure to recommend the Frank and Karen team to anybody looking for a trust worthy, knowledgeable and top performing realtor. It was a pleasure working with both of you.”

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Ernie & Carol G.

“Karen & Frank Baker are the best. They are very knowledgeable with the area & showed us many homes. When...

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“Karen & Frank Baker are the best. They are very knowledgeable with the area & showed us many homes. When we made up our minds which one we wanted, they got us the best deal on it. We were very satisfided with them. After the purchased was made & we moved in, they were still there to answer any questions or problems that we might of had. Like I said, they are the BEST.”

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“Thanks again for all the time you spent with us, As overwhelming as it was, you two made it fun”

2015-03-16T20:19:23+00:00

“Thanks again for all the time you spent with us, As overwhelming as it was, you two made it fun”